antennata

Question
QUESTION: i have a lionfish im guessing with a bladder problem because he cant swim straight up and he swims on his side or upside down, how do i cure that

ANSWER: Hey Nick,
This may be part of their normal behavior. It is not uncommon to see your lionfish swimming upside down, on it's side or perched that way as well. I have one close to 15" long that does this frequently(especially around feeding times). Does he seem incapable of swimming in that manner? Unstable, bobbing, struggling? If not it's probably just the normal behavior we see in many lionfish species. If so, it could be the bladder. A blockage, excessive air, infection or damage to the bladder can cause these issues as well but they are pretty rare. If the bladder is the problem, all of the previously mentioned possible causes should pass on their own except for an infection. You can add epsom salts(1 teaspoon per 10 gallons of actual tank volume) to assist without harming water quality or the other inhabitants. You can skip feeding for 24 hours to assist in alleviating the problem as well. A bacterial infection will require antibiotics. You should be seeing other signs of an infection however. Swelling, bloating, loss of appetite, discoloration, lethargy, sudden darting, shaking of the abdomen(twisting), are the most common. I would just observe him closely, maybe try the epsom salts. Check water your quality, as water issues can slow down the healing process, if he does have an ailment. Just watch  closely and see how he does in the next 48 hours. Do let me know how its going, if there are changes or more information. Always glad to help.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: well its to late now, i had him in a hospital tank and i was trying to keep him steady and straight up and handfeeding him but he wouldnt eat and he died yesterday so yeah, also in my biocube (14 gallon) i heard u put the heater in the sump so i do and for some reason the heater keeps buring up.

Answer
Hey Nick,
Sorry to hear that. Make sure that nothing is against the heater or enclosing the heater, it will create a hot pocket around the heater and can burn it up. Also make sure that you dont have too much of the heater exposed to air, this also will make the heater burn up.